Does Solarcaine expire? 

Does Solarcaine expire? 

Yes, Solarcaine does expire. It is available in the form of lotion and sprays. No matter what the nature of the formulation is, you will most definitely find an expiry date printed on the packaging. 

I would not recommend you to use expired Solarcaine on your burns, but if it has pretty recently expired, you can use it. However, make sure you look for physical signs of degradation. 

Temperature changes can enhance the physical degradation of Solarcaine lotion and you will most likely see phase separation (oil and water separation) when it happens. Make sure you don’t use Solarcaine with any physical signs of degradation. 

What are the dangers associated with the use of expired Solarcaine? 

Expired Solarcaine is not considered toxic, but it is not known to be beneficial either. The therapeutic pain relief property slowly starts to fade away. 

However, improper use of the lotion, for example, inserting a used applicator back into the lotion, can result in contamination. This can lead to microbial growth and it could be dangerous to apply this contaminated lotion on severe burns (1). 

What to do if you have used expired Solarcaine? 

If you have accidentally used expired Solarcaine on your burns, but you feel okay, don’t worry. A recently expired Solarcaine can, in fact, provide you with instant pain relief. However, you should never opt for an expired medication and they should never be used on open wounds. 

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References

1.-

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Don’t Be Tempted to Use Expired Medicines [Internet]. Silver Spring (MD): U.S. Food and Drug Administration; 2021 [cited 2022 Oct 24]. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/dont-be-tempted-use-expired-medicines.